UCL History is seeking to appoint an exceptional candidate to the post of ‘Lectureship in Medieval History’. We welcome applications from scholars doing research of the highest quality and able to teach successfully at both undergraduate and taught graduate levels, and in due course to attract doctoral students. You will be expected to teach modules of your own devising, that relate to your area of specialism; in addition you will contribute to a ‘team taught’ first year undergraduate core course. You will convene the module ‘Manuscripts and Documents’ (MA Medieval and Renaissance Studies) as well as developing an MA module which relates to your own field of research.

We welcome applications from historians working on any aspect of medieval history (from c. 1100 on), in order to complement existing areas of strength within the department. The department seeks to build on its considerable strength in the field of medieval history, in terms of both range and depth. We are looking for demonstrable strength in palaeography and diplomatic, as well as strong working knowledge not just of medieval Latin but also of the key scholarly languages in the field, including French and German.

Gold Against the Body: Gold Surfaces and Their Limits, Medieval to Early Modern

Alison Wright, UCL

5:00pm, 43, Gordon Sq., London WC1H 0PD

For the last Murray Seminar of the year, Alison Wright of UCL presents a paper entitled Gold against the Body: gold surfaces and their limits, medieval to early modern.

The myth, famously invoked in Goldfinger, of the human body suffocated by being coated in gold exemplifies the fascination and danger attached to the idea of an ‘excess’ of gold, especially in respect to human skin. In this lecture the slippery boundaries of when, where and for whom gold surfaces might be deemed excessive will be explored in relation to European art, especially Italian, of the 14th to early 16th centuries. The discussion of gold in representation is generally dominated for this period by Alberti’s overturning of the value of gilding on the painted surface. This talk will argue rather for the multiple economies of gold in art with reference to broader visual and material traditions, and focus especially on gold’s complex relation to the human body.

Seminars take place in the History of Art Department at Birkbeck (43, Gordon Sq., London WC1H 0PD) in Room 114 (The Keynes Library) at 5pm. Talks finish by 5.50pm (allowing those with other commitments to leave) and are then followed by discussion and refreshments.

The Warburg Institute is recruiting for a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer for teaching and research in Cultural and Intellectual History. In this role, you will contribute to teaching, supervising and mentoring the Institute’s postgraduate students whilst helping to develop both the taught MA and PhD programmes. You will also play an active part in the academic life of the Warburg, conducting research, publishing your work and actively identifying and pursuing external funding for research projects.

We are calling for applications from academically qualified candidates with a background in any aspect of Cultural and Intellectual History. All things being equal, preference will be given to candidates with research expertise in the history of philosophy and/or in languages and textual scholarship, including editing and translation studies. You will have combined experience of academic research and teaching, coupled with demonstrable experience of developing teaching modules and course programmes. Your proven high level written and verbal communication skills will suit a range of audiences, and these skills will also compliment your ability to work collaboratively with academic and professional services staff, and participate in academic networks. Superior organisational skills to plan a programme and schedule of work whilst completing complex tasks involving multiple contributors is critical.

Applications close midnight Sunday, 26 November 2017. Interviews are expected to take place the week commencing 11 December 2017 and applicants are expected to ensure their availability during that period.

10 January 2018: The Hadassah and Daniel Khalili Memorial Lecture in Islamic Art and Culture: The Calligrapher, the Painter, and the Patron: A New Perspective on the Freer Khusraw u Shirin, Dr Simon Rettig, Assistant Curator of Islamic Art, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

21 February 2018: In the service of religion? The display of ‘science from the Islamic world’ in the museum, Dr Silke Ackermann, Director, Museum of the History of Science, Oxford

14 March 2018: The Seventh Bahari Foundation Lecture in Iranian Art and Culture: Decagonal and Quasicrystalline Geometry in the Architecture of Medieval Persia and Its Influence in the Greater Islamic World, Dr Peter J. Lu, Department of Physics and SEAS, Harvard University, USA

25 April 2018: Islamic Textiles from Iberia: Re-evaluating Their Role in the Mediterranean Context, Dr Ana Cabrera-Lafuente, Marie S.-Curie Fellow, Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The V&A is seeking to appoint a Curator of Medieval Art and Design to join the Department of Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics & Glass.

The post-holder will be responsible for the development, care, research, display and interpretation of medieval art and design (excluding manuscripts, which are held in the National Art Library) in the Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics & Glass Department. The extensive European medieval collections are of national and international importance, and the post-holder will serve a wider role within the Department and the Museum as one of the medieval specialists, and will be expected to play an active role in the field of medieval studies and collecting, both nationally and internationally.

The successful candidate will have practical experience of collections management, excellent organisational, interpersonal and writing skills and experience in research and publication. They will be comfortable working across decorative arts collections, contributing to the V&A FuturePlan and exhibition projects, and cultivating and cementing good relations with external organisations and communities.